Method and system for delivering exogenous biomolecules into the eye and method for forming pores into target cells of an eye

Abstract

There is described a method for delivering exogenous biomolecules into an eye. The method generally has the steps of injecting, into a region of the eye, a mixture having a plurality of exogenous biomolecules and a plurality of plasmonic structures, the plasmonic structures having a plasmonic resonance wavelength, the plasmonic structures adjoining membranes of target cells in said region due to said injecting; and irradiating said region of said eye with a laser beam having a wavelength being offset to said plasmonic resonance wavelength, said irradiating causing the plasmonic structures to form pores in said membranes of said target cells, allowing at least some of the exogenous biomolecules to be delivered into the target cells via said pores.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for delivering exogenous biomolecules into an eye, the method comprising the steps of:
 injecting, into a region of the eye, a mixture having a plurality of exogenous biomolecules and a plurality of plasmonic structures, the plasmonic structures having a plasmonic resonance wavelength, the plasmonic structures adjoining membranes of target cells in said region due to said injecting, said injecting including a step of injecting, into the region of the eye, a solution having a solvent in which are dissolved the plurality of exogenous biomolecules, and another step of injecting, into the region of the eye, a colloidal suspension having a substance in which are suspended the plurality of plasmonic structures, the steps of injecting of injecting being performed sequentially; and 
 irradiating said region of said eye with a laser beam having a wavelength being offset to said plasmonic resonance wavelength, said irradiating causing the plasmonic structures to form pores in said membranes of said target cells, allowing at least some of the exogenous biomolecules to be delivered into the target cells via said pores. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1  wherein said region is a retinal region of said eye. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 2  wherein said injecting is provided in the form of one of the group consisting of: a subretinal injection and a intravitreal injection. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1  further comprising, prior to said irradiating, waiting a given period of time. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 4  wherein said period of time is below 3 hours. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1  further comprising, prior to said injecting, functionalizing the plurality of plasmonic structures with a targeting molecule adapted to target said membrane of said target cell. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1  wherein said wavelength of said laser beam is within an optically transparent window of the eye. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 7  wherein said optically transparent window is in the near-infrared region of the electromagnetic spectrum. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1  wherein the plasmonic structures are plasmonic nanostructures having a dimension ranging between 1 nm and 1000 nm. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 1  wherein said plasmonic structures are made of gold. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 1  wherein said plasmonic structures have a spherical geometry. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 1  wherein said laser beam is a femtosecond laser beam with pulses having a time duration in the femtosecond range. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 1  further comprising imaging said region of said eye while said irradiating. 
     
     
       14. A system for delivering exogenous biomolecules into an eye, the system comprising:
 a mixture having a plurality of exogenous biomolecules and a plurality of plasmonic structures, said mixture being injectable into a region of said eye in a manner resulting in the plasmonic structures adjoining membranes of target cells of said eye, the plasmonic structures having a plasmonic resonance wavelength; and 
 an irradiation subsystem configured for irradiating said region of said eye with a laser beam having a wavelength being offset to said plasmonic resonance wavelength, said irradiating causing the plasmonic structures to form pores in said membranes of said target cells, allowing at least some of the exogenous biomolecules to be delivered into the target cells via said pores, wherein said laser beam is a femtosecond laser beam with pulses having a time duration in the femtosecond range. 
 
     
     
       15. The system of  claim 14  wherein said plasmonic structures are gold nanoparticles. 
     
     
       16. The system of  claim 14  further comprising a lens optically coupled to an external surface of the eye for correcting optical aberrations of the eye. 
     
     
       17. The system of  claim 4  further comprising an imaging subsystem configured for imaging said region of said eye. 
     
     
       18. A method for delivering exogenous biomolecules into an eye, the method comprising the steps of:
 injecting, into a region of the eye, a mixture having a plurality of exogenous biomolecules and a plurality of plasmonic structures, the plasmonic structures having a plasmonic resonance wavelength, the plasmonic structures adjoining membranes of target cells in said region due to said injecting; and 
 irradiating said region of said eye with a laser beam having a wavelength being offset to said plasmonic resonance wavelength, said irradiating causing the plasmonic structures to form pores in said membranes of said target cells, allowing at least some of the exogenous biomolecules to be delivered into the target cells via said pores, wherein said laser beam is a femtosecond laser beam with pulses having a time duration in the femtosecond range. 
 
     
     
       19. The system of  claim 17 , wherein said imaging subsystem is provided in the form of an ophthalmoscope.